Cirque Du Somnia
by SketchyVE
Summary: **Under America and England for easier access** Vash and Lili are twins looking for a new beginning when WWII arises, but where they go trouble follows. Along their travels, the siblings meet a recruiter for the circus and they accept. But little do they know that not all things are fun and games behind these wall. More details inside.


A/N: Hello everybody! I know that I haven't been working on Enigma lately and that's for good reason. I'm currently stumped on that one and I'll probably be stumped on it for a while. I'll probably get back to it later and that goes as well for my One Fine Line. Anyways, I had this story in my head for a while and it is kind of based on my new favorite book _The Night Circus _by Erin Morgenstern. Basically the idea of the circus and rival teams is borrowed, but everything else is my idea. There are currently no pairings in this unless I say otherwise, but there really is no point of pairings as of right now. Right now this is just a teaser trailer, and if you would like more please review. It really keeps me going.

Summary: Vash and Lili are twins looking for a new beginning when WWII arises, but where they go trouble follows. Along their travels, the siblings meet a recruiter for the circus and they accept. But little do they know that not all things are fun and games behind these wall.

When a rival circus under the name "Red Phantom" challenges the twin's new home into a game of survival, everything becomes a gamble and there can only be one winner. Truths will be revealed, lives will be lost, cards will be cast, and their nightmare is only just beginning.

* * *

Snow quietly touches the Earth blanketing her with white frost as you stand outside iron gates, huddling for whatever warmth your outfit provides. You silently curse at yourself for forgetting those hand warmers on the counter. A small crowd surrounds you and you try your best not to overhear some of the conversations. There is a sign above the gate, but you cannot make out the writing.

"Welcome to the Circus of Dreams," reads a person behind you.

You turn around and lock eyes with them for a moment and a twinge of regret shakes your nerves. You smile sheepishly, tugging at the red scarf around your neck awkwardly wondering why you were here again. You look at the gates – closed.

A few people in the crowd start to mutter something about a clock as you start to scan for an employee to open the gates, yet no one comes and you begin to grow impatient. A blast of snow bursts into your face and you shudder, burying your hands in your scarf and breathing small puffs of air. As time continues to count down you almost give-up on entering.

"Mommy, I'm cold," says a child in front of you.

The child's mother lips become a hard thin line, but her face warm and caring none the less. She takes her child's hand into her own and throws a fake smile.

"I'm sure you are sweetie," she says sweetly. You laughed to yourself due to her acting skills. "But I'm sure you don't want to miss the circus."

Her child purses their lips in thought. "But why is _this_ circus so special?" They ask as they zip up their layered coat, wiping their nose with the back of their mittens in the process. You try your best not to appear absolutely disgusted.

The mom kept her face relaxed and spoke between gritted teeth. "Well, this circus only comes out during winter time when there's snow. No one knows why, it just does."

Hearing this news peaks your interests even more. A rush of unknown warmth burst into your face and your frozen lips begin to defrost. Your mouth opens to ask the woman a question, but as soon as you get start your words the sound of a chime echoes in the night catching everyone off guard. There's a change in movement as the crowd begins to shift like an ocean, tugging you along with its currents. At this point the mother and daughter vanished within the rest of the people.

"Here we go!" says an excited customer standing to the left of you.

The gates gradually open with an eerie groan and the crowd rushes passed you with an energetic force that is hard to ignore. You are pulled by the sheer weight of each person and then abandoned as you pass the gates. There is a roar within the circus that slowly comes to life like a storybook. You glance around the plaza and see that the scenery is mostly monochromatic colors of black and white with shades of apple red and ocean blue splashed around. Lines were already being formed at vendors, and performers wore elaborate gowns of the black, white, red, and blue color scheme. An electrifying surge courses through your nerves and you suddenly forget that moments ago you were chilled to the bone.

A man with a raven black tailcoat, silk top hat and silver tipped cane keeps watch of you with a crooked Cheshire grin on his face. He is handsome in his own way with his long, wavy blond hair that cascades down the nape of his neck barely touching the collar of the suit. His oceanic blue eyes contrast the darkness of the night, but compliment the whiteness of the snow and milkiness of his skin. They instantly lock with yours. His facial hair came in small strands that made him appear a bit older than he may seem. _32 _was your guess.

He approaches you with phantom movements while twirling his cane around his wrist. His eyes relaxed yet focus. He makes it to your feet and bows gracefully, catching you off guard with his undetected presence. He takes your hand into his gloved one and plants a small kiss. You blush at the sudden contact and look away sheepishly. He looks up at you and winks deviously as if he had some type of enchanting spell over you and pulls away.

He hands you a blue rose and a card. The silver font shines brightly against the black background as intricate swirls radiate from the tips from each letter. It reads: _Bienvenue à Cirque Du __Somnia__. _You came to the conclusion that the man works here and that's how the crew always welcomes their guests. You smile warmly and look up to thank the man for his courtesy, but he is no longer there and a lone blue rose petal remains.

**OPENING ACT**

Chapter One: Le Chemin du Retour

_FWOOOOT!_

The train's whistle screamed in the snow filled night and it's iron wheels groaned and creaked, roaring to life on the tracks. Pedestrians on the side watched as it slowly left, waving small handkerchiefs and running to get one last glimpse of loved ones from the windows, wishing them a fair trip. The train was on its way to France from Austria, and the people leaving in it were looking for a new hope – a new life.

In the back of the train was the livestock unit filled with sheep, cattle, and other farm animals that were to either be slaughtered or sheared for the upcoming frost. They craned their necks to view two stowaways but kept their business as usual, their black eyes filled with disinterested curiosity. A brother and sister huddled together for warmth as the train trudged forward.

The sister's hair was golden blond braided into asymmetrical pigtails around her face. Her large green eyes were filled with innocence, but damaged with war. Her pink dress and suede fur boots were dirtied by mud and soot, but she didn't seem to notice. Her eyes sank heavily with exhaustion as she twirled one braid between her fingers, looking awkwardly at her boots. She tapped her toes together and attempted to grow comfortable under the cold.

Her older brother, by two years, looked identical to her minus the long hair, but his eyes were sharp and seemed to be filled with an unrelenting scowl. His old, tattered leather jacket was torn in a few places and his newspaper boy cap kept his head slightly warm, but still it wasn't enough. His body shook violently as he tried his best to evenly spread his jacket around him and his sister, but deep down he knew that it wouldn't work.

"Big brother?" his sister said, looking at her brother. Her voice was barely a whisper and lips slightly blue. Her teeth and body chattered quietly as her breath rolled in small puffs. "Do you know where we're going?"

Her older brother tilted his head towards the ceiling of the train and sighed. "Not a clue." He paused to look at her and met a pair of wide eyes. He immediately wanted to take those words back, but of course he couldn't. Time was never kind to him – not then and not now. He quickly tried to reassure her. "B-but, anywhere but here is better. Ever since our landlord divorced, things haven't been running well. "

The thought of their previous landlord reading a scribbled sorry excuse for an apology for leaving on such short notice didn't seem to affect Vash at all. _I'm sure he'll understand, and if not, he'll never be sober enough to understand anyways._

The train started to reach a normal speed as the two rocked from side – to – side, their bodies colliding awkwardly with one other in a clock ticking rhythm. His sister managed a weak smile, but it slowly shifted to a confused frown. "But I liked Mr. Gaul. He had such wonderful talent, especially with art."

Vash frowned slightly. "Well what's so good about him anyways? He was an arrogant, pompous, know – it – all that only cared about himself. Sure he knew how to save money and he was really good at drawing doodles, but he's still not that great." His sister giggled causing Vash to flush in embarrassment. "W-what? What's so funny?"

His sister caught her breath and smiled; cheeks flushed a bright shade of rose pink. "It's nothing really. I just realized that you seem to know a lot about Mr. Gaul, even if it is such strange things about him." Her smile widened. "I actually think you may _like_ him."

Vash choked. "I do not!" he retorted, his blush deepening. He turned his head away from his sister in attempts to look distraught. "Who could ever like a man like him? Besides, I don't need to _like _anyone. All I need is you and everything is alright with me."

It was his sister's turn to blush.

"Big brother," she mumbled.

Not realizing what he said, Vash looked away sheepishly and bit his tongue. "W-well it's true. You're my sister and you're all that's left of our family, so of course I need you."

The word _family_ felt so foreign on his tongue that it burned his lips. He replayed the word in his head, wondering if it was the proper term to use. His sister looked at him with wide eyes and smiled. _Family, how nice, _she thought. She pulled her brother's hand into her own and looked deeply into his eyes. Vash swallowed hard.

"Thank you, big brother. That means a lot to me."

"Y-yeah, no problem."

Vash returned the smile. It was a small one, but a smile none the least. He had wondered to himself about the last time he _had _smiled, but the thoughts were interfered when his sister came around with a wheezing cough. The sound was that of a drum beating heavily across her chest and her face cringed with pain as each cough came back with more force.

"Lili," Vash said with worry, placing out a supportive hand on her shoulder.

She shook her head and brushed her brother's hand off. She managed to catch her breath and gave him a weak smile. "I'm okay," she rasped. Her voice was almost inaudible.

"Like hell you are!" Vash barked, his eyes intense, but Lili gave a reassuring smile.

"Big brother, you don't always need to worry about me. I'm fine okay?"

Vash scowled in response but relaxed none the less. _It seems like she's getting worse, _he thought as he watched his sister adjust herself. Unconsciously, he pulled her towards his chest and Lili blinked in confusion, but didn't pull away. She had always thought that being her brother's arms was her own kind of safety net. She slowly closed her eyes and smiled as the rocking of the train and the feeling of her brother caressing her head lulled her to sleep. The snow had begun to fall.

An hour had passed and Lili was asleep on Vash's shoulder, her chest slowly rising and falling evenly. _Good, she seems to be doing better, _Vash thought with a smile. He had been keeping watch for the past hour, but soon exhaustion caught up with him. His eyes grew heavier with every passing second and his head lolled up and down, but the train would jerk him awake with a painful jolt each time he was close to being asleep.

The train had pulled into a few areas, but only to load on more cargo. At that time, Vash covered his sister in fear of getting caught by the staff, and by the fifth stop he had finally lost the fight. The sense of fatigue washed over him and his body slowly began to shut down. He pulled his cap over his eyes and fell into a restless sleep.

* * *

_The sky was black and rain pattered slowly on the roof. There was a cry of shear pain echoing within a house at a small town and candles were brightly lit all around. A young Vash covered his ears to block out the sounds of agony that escaped his mother's mouth. There was a mixture of nausea and pain settling in the pit of his stomach. He had never felt this useless before. He moved his hands off his ears and sat quietly on a wooden chair in the kitchen , clutching his pants till his knuckles were white. His mother had been in labor for an entire day and things have not seemed to be ending anytime soon. His father paced around the kitchen frantically, eyes wide with distress and fatigue. Another cry rang out and Vash's father stopped._

"_Gud dammit," he cursed, running a hand through his gold hair violently._

_Vash bit his lip and continued to watch his father panic. Watching his father in such a state frightened him. _

_"Papa," he called out weakly. His cry fell on deaf ears. "Papa," he cried louder._

_Still no response. A sense of weakness and desperation gnawed at Vash. Tears stung the back of his eyes and a tight, raw feeling clenched throat._

"_Papa!" he screamed this time._

_His father turned and looked at him with a hollow face. Vash jumped back completely terrified. His father's face was sullen with dark, heavy black rings under his eyes, and he was so thin that he was just bones. He was a living corpse._

_Vash swallowed hard and stifled a sniffle. Now was not the time for weakness – and never will there be one, according to his father. Vash's father gaze was hollow, almost ghost like, until he realized that he was worrying his son. He kneeled down and threw an outstretched hand towards Vash, giving a broken smile. "Kom hit min son."_

_Vash nodded obediately and slowly walked over to his father, burying his face within his chest and clutching on for dear life. His tears managed to stop, and it came to small hiccups or short gasps for breath. He always felt safe within his father's arms. _

_His father slowly began to stroke Vash's blond hair and gently rocked him. "_Jag är ledsen för att oroa dig."

_Vash kept silent but closed his eyes. There was another pained cry followed by urgent voices and thundering feet pounding against the floor. Vash felt his father tremble underneath him and he looked up with large wide eyes. Although there was no evidence, his father was crying. His mother screamed out again and then silence. Vash's father choked._

"_Gud hjälpa oss alla."_

* * *

The sudden clamor of sheep and cows in panic woke Vash immediately, but his vision was slightly blurred. Lili soon awoke after and shivered from the blast of a cold air that entered through the cracks. The two peered around their surroundings only to hear a foreign tongue in the background speaking at high speeds followed by quick short laughs.

Lili turned to look at Vash, fear locked in her emerald eyes, but Vash gave an encouraging nod and placed a finger on his lips. She nodded in obedience and ran her finger over her lips as if she was zipping them shut and kept close. The doors soon glided open and two men entered with crowbars at hand.

"Those stupid Americans: charging extra for livestock. They make me sick," said one man. He had a heavy French accent and moustache that complemented his long, skinny face. He had an average build but scrawny twigs for arms. There was a noticeable scar across his eye and permanent scowl on his lips.

His comrade was the complete opposite. He had a round face with a matching turnip nose, and his figure was that of a walrus. He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the cold sweat off his brow and groaned slightly.

"Yes, I know. You keep complaining about it every chance that you have. I get it," the large man grumbled, putting the handkerchief away in his front pocket.

Vash watched from the corner of his eye, holding Lili behind him with one hand and supporting himself with the other. His eyes were focused and his breathing light. Lili held her hands close to her chest and closed her eyes. She began chanting a small prayer to calm herself. She then felt Vash's hand move away from her shoulder and she opened her eyes, blinking curiously. He looked at her and nodded.

The thinner man started to walk around the livestock as his partner kept watch of the outside. "Five, six, seven," the thin man counted. He kicked them at them in disgust and growled. "Seven, eight, ni—Wait, what the hell?"

The man's cry for urgency was cut off as Vash reached a hand for his throat. Vash then threw the man on his back with a loud _thud_ and straddled him to make sure he couldn't back up. His hands reached for the back of his pocket, pulling out a switchblade and pressing it against the thin man's neck. The man paled, inhaling sharply and released his crowbar. He kept a hand on Vash's arm to relieve some of the pressure from the blade, but the more he struggled, the more Vash applied. Vash on the other hand, struggled to keep the man's free arm away from his own neck. Hearing a ruckus behind him, the man's larger comrade turned with stunned eyes.

"Sacrebleu!" he cursed, making his way towards Vash and raising his crowbar.

Lili panicked. "Big brother, look out! He's coming at your right."

From the corner of his eye, Vash saw the larger man and smirked coyly. He collapsed into a front somersault, releasing the thin man's neck and dodging the crowbar's furry. The bar then collided with the thin man's stomach knocking the air out of his lungs and paralyzing him. Frazzled, the larger man panicked and stumbled backwards only to meet Vash's foot with his face. The large man then collapsed on his back, completely unconscious.

"Lili, let's go!" Vash called out, extending a hand to his sister.

Lili scampered to her feet and took her brother's hand, running towards the exit of the box car. The train had stopped at a station and luckily there had been no evidence that they created a commotion. A fresh batch of snow had just fallen and Vash decided to use it to his advantage. He jumped out landing on the soft, fresh powder with a soft _pff._ He then quickly stood up and turned towards Lili.

"Jump! I'll catch you," he commanded with arms outstretched, but Lili stood there, completely petrified.

Behind her the thin man slowly regained control of his body and rolled over to his stomach with the rest of his strength. _Ba-dump_, _ba-dump_, _ba-dump_ went the throbbing in his head, eyes wild and glazed. His hand immediately went to his head as the room swirled, but eyes stopped on a girl at the exit of the box car.

"You," he rasped dangerously.

He scampered to his feet and trampled across the floor with drunken footsteps. _Vous __marmot __sacrément, _he thought. Vash had only seen a shadow of something moving from the corner of his eye, so he didn't have time to react. Lili screamed as the thin man wrapped an arm around her neck from the back and aimed a 44 magnum handgun towards Vash.

"Hoho, look at what we have here: two stowaways," the man purred as he lifted Lili off the ground by her neck.

"Lili!" Vash's eyes shrank, immediately dropping his offense.

"B-Big brother," Lili choked as she held on to the man's arm to relieve the pressure around her throat. She thrashed her legs violently, but the man tightened his grip and she immediately stopped.

Vash growled but kept a close eye on Lili, who was now on the verge of tears. The man cackled as he drew the hammer back. There was a threatening click and Vash withheld a terrified wheeze.

"Marmots maudits," the thin man spat as if the word burned like acid.

"Big brother." Lili's voice was all but a tiny whisper now. Her body trembled like leaf and a tear rolled down her cheek.

The feeling of uselessness started to gnaw at Vash's conscience. "You coward," he snarled, "taking a girl as a hostage."

The man's face twisted in confusion. "You speak English, brat?" He loosened his hold on Lili and squinted. "Pity. A fine man your age should be blessed with the beauty of the French tongue instead of that mistake of a language. "

"Tais-toi, I don't care about your damn language." Vash voice was stern and cold. His eyes were dark green daggers and his shoulders hovered dangerously.

The man gave a smug grunt. "Oh, wait… a Swedish boy, non? What are you doing so far from home?" Vash didn't answer. The thin man cocked an eyebrow and pursed his lips. "Stubborn brat. If you're curious on how I figured it out, your accent gives you away. Might want to fix that if you want to survive, but it doesn't matter, you're going to rot in jail anyways."

Vash visibly paled. How dare this scumbag talk to _him _like this! The Frenchman smiled impishly noticing that he had stumped the boy. He adjusted Lili to where she was facing him her chest pressed against his. She struggled to escape, but his grip was too strong almost suffocating. The man then took a good at her face and smiled.

"Hey, you're kind of cute." There was a sensual purr within his tone. He brought his face in close and Lili's eyes shrank. "What do you say that I kill this pipsqueak and take you home to a _real _man."

His breath smelled heavily of cigarettes and booze that it nearly made her faint, but the fact that his lips were closing in on hers shot a cold feeling through her.

"Nein!" she screamed at him. She started to thrash her body again with more force and the man started to grow impatient.

"Stupid bitch," he snarled.

He snaked his hand around her waist and groped her chest violently making her wince in pain. Her body twitched. He was touching her. He was _violating_ her. He then began to twist her nipple which earned him another pained scream. Lili then bit the inside of her cheek to keep from any other sounds from escaping her mouth. The man scowled in dissatisfaction and dropped to her feet then shot his hand to grab her chin. Tears flew out of her eyes as she struggled again, but he kept a strong grip.

"Vash!" she screamed in desperation.

Hearing his name broke Vash out of his blind rage but Lili's cries were then muffled with man's lips crashing on hers. The kiss was rough as the man explored deeper within her mouth with his tongue and pressing her body against his. Vash's eyes flew into a rage as Lili gagged on her own spit. _No, no, no! _She screamed at herself. She felt the outside rim of her mouth bruising and her gag reflex giving out; the acid burned her throat, but she refused to give in.

"You – you bastard!" Vash said. His voice was almost demonic.

The man ignored him and wrapped his arms around Lili's waist and thrust her against the side of the cargo door, slamming her back against the metal frame. She whimpered as he rubbed his hardened manhood on her inner thigh. His tongue swirled in her mouth, sucking out whatever air supply she had left. She started to panic even more as she closed her eyes and tears fell down her face even harder.

Vash raised his switchblade. "I'm going to kill you, you son – of – a – bitch."

Lili reacted to the sound of her brother's voice. As soon as the man's tongue slid back into her mouth she bit down until she tasted warm copper and felt liquid trailing against her lips. The man howled viciously and released her immediately. His tongue recoiled back into his mouth as blood stained his tattered shirt. He hissed and eyes grew dangerous. Before he could grab a hold of her, Lili jumped off the train frantically and tumbled in the snow, her dress being torn by the gravel hidden underneath. Vash then let his blade loose and the man took a step towards the edge of the cart.

There was no pained outburst as the blade penetrated deep within the man's skull and was instantly killed, his body withering and falling to the ground below like a puppet without a puppet master. Vash panted heavily to keep himself from running to the man and tearing his heart right out of his chest. It was all over. Lili then crawled weakly to her brother and buried her face within his chest, sobbing heavily and trembling. Vash ran a hand through her hair and held on tightly.

"I'm sorry Lili. I'm so sorry. I should have reacted sooner. I should have-"

As he continued to apologize, her sobs then became choked coughs and gasps for breath since the mucus had trailed into her mouth. Pure guilt sank in Vash's stomach. He hated this feeling. The last time when he had felt this guilty was when –

There was a whistle cry. Vash turned his head to see a man looking straight them with wide terrified eyes. Vash then looked at the body of the man he had just _killed _and stopped caressing his sister's head. The man had already vanished by the time Vash had figured out what was happening.

Run. They needed to run now.

He quickly jumped to his feet and pulled his sister off the ground. "Hurry, we need to get out of here now."

The urgency in his voice told Lili that it was about to get worse, so she swallowed whatever tears she had left and didn't question him. She took hold of his hand and started to run with her brother leading. The sound of thundering boots and angry shouts soon followed behind them. The siblings ran through the blistering cold and felt that their lungs were about to burst in their chest, but they continued to run. They went through a barbed wire fence, ignoring the fact that the cuts they were receiving stung. _They're just clothes, _Vash thought.

_Ba – dump, ba – dump, ba – dump, _went their synchronized heartbeats as they ran through the snow filled night unsure of which direction they were going. Soon they caught their breath when they reached the edge of a riverbank. The currents themselves weren't fast, but the frost and width of the river itself would have killed them both instantly.

"Vash, over there," Lili said, pointing at a bridge.

Like a beacon of hope, it was within vision distance and their hearts swelled, but in reality the running distance was impossible. Vash scowled. "Dammit we won't make it."

The thundering boots of the men grew closer and were now accompanied by the snarls and howls of dogs. Lili clung tightly unto her brother's arm and began to shake. Feeling responsible for their safety, Vash grasped her hand and looked her in the eye.

"Lili, listen to me okay. I'm going create a distraction and I want you to run for the bridge okay?" As he was telling her this he took his hat and coat off and placed it on her, taking a mental note of the things she needed to survive in the cold. Lili stared with a terrified gaze and shook her head, but he grabbed her shoulders and stared at her sternly. "And don't tell me no, I need to do this okay." He kissed her forehead and lifted her chin. Noticeable tears were in her eyes as the bruises started to form around her lips. His stomach clenched.

The police were now within sight and Vash gave a heavy sigh. Clouds of white swirled from his mouth as the hair on his arms stood erect and his nipples grew hard from the cold, revealing under his white t-shirt. He then escaped from his sister's grip and shoved her away from him.

"Go!" he commanded.

Tears had started to roll down her cheek, "Big brother." Her voice cracked from the tightness of her throat.

Before he had time to respond the group of men and several police officers had surrounded them within a semi-circle, blocking off her chance of escape. Each police officer had pulled out a handgun, aiming it at them and yelling angrily in French. _Dammit, _Vash cursed in thought.

Amongst the men's voices and the dog's hungry snarls echoed a booming voice. All became silent. A man walked through the crowd of men and dogs. Guessing from his appearance, Vash figured it was the chief of police. His eyes were stern and light hazelnut brown. His raven black hair was tied in a ponytail and dreadlocks cascaded from the back. Black stubs of facial hair escaped his chin and around the side of his face. His skin complexion was a dark chocolate and his body structure was a wall. He stopped in front of Vash and Lili shoulder width apart, hands in pocket, and a cigar in his mouth. He inhaled sharply then took the cigar out and exhaled deeply; a long trail of smoke trailing from his lips and evaporating towards the sky.

"You caused me a lot of trouble tonight kid," he said, tapping the butt of the cigar and rubbing the back of his head.

Vash kept his eyes focused on the chief. "Sorry officer, we just got lost," he said, trying to keep his voice steady.

The chief blinked. "English, huh?" His voice was beginning to elevate in sarcasm. "Well your stupid adventure got one of the train workers killed. And you know what that means, don't 'cha?" His voice escalated with irritation as he began to squeeze the cigar between his fingers. Ash started to crumble between the cracks of his fingertips and the siblings watched in a mesmerized fear. He then crushed the cigar in his bare hands and released the ashes in the wind, leaving no trace burn marks. "It means you're now a criminal."

Vash paled. "But that was for defensive reasons," he retorted. "He was raping my sister in front of me!" The words stung his lips. _He raped my sister, _he thought guiltily. A gnawing feeling clenched in his stomach as his lips contorted into a disgusted frown.

The group of men groaned and began to mutter under their breath, but the chief shot them a devilish glare, silencing them all immediately. The chief turned towards Lili. "Is this true?"

Lili hesitantly nodded. The chief's face scrunched in thought and turned towards men. He began to say something in French and his units lowered their weapons.

"Well if that's the case, we need to bring you two in for questioning."

It was Lili's turn to pale. She ran in front of her brother, surprising both the chief and Vash. "Please, don't take him!" she pleaded with arms outstretched. At this point it was obvious that Vash's jacket was too large for her as it fell to her knees.

"Lili what are you doing?" Vash whispered under his breath.

His sister turned towards him, green eyes gleaming with determination. "I refuse to let them take you away from me, so please…don't tell me to leave you again, alright?"

Tightness closed around Vash's throat as his eyes widened. He couldn't think of anything to say his sister's response, so instead he bowed his head and smiled weakly. _Thank you._

The chief's eyes focused intensely on Lili as if in thought. One could tell he was having an inner conflict by the way his forehead scrunched and his nose twitched from side – to – side. He pulled out another cigar from a case in his back pocket and stuck it in his mouth. He didn't light it.

"You, girl," he said, addressing Lili. "What's your name?"

Lili looked back at the chief with a bright gaze. "L-Lili."

The chief twirled the cigar in his mouth and raised an eyebrow. _Lili, huh? _He sighed heavily. "Look, we're not going to send your brother to jail. We're just going to take you two into questioning to see what the situation is. Maybe you might spend _one_ night in a cell, but that's just for safety precautions. Trust me you two are in good hands."

The twins slightly lowered defenses. The chief did seem to be telling the truth, and it seemed that they could trust him. _Just one night? That doesn't seem too bad, _Vash thought. _Who knows, we might even get lucky and get a free meal._

A sudden laugh broke his train of thought and was followed behind a hollow applause. Everyone turned their heads see two men in suits walking in their direction. One was wearing a midnight black suit the other an ocean blue. The man wearing the black suit held a matching umbrella over his head and there was a cocky grin over his lips. His blue eyes seemed to be completely focused on Vash, and if not him both of the twins. Vash blinked warily as the man and his companion stopped in between him, his sister, and the cops.

The other man was a tad bit shorter and seemed less approachable. An elegant blue cape fluttered behind him gracefully as he tipped his blue top hat over his eyes, covering half of his face. He had pure white silk gloves on each hand and a silver watch dangled from his front pocket; its coat glistening brightly from the reflection of the snow. The twins gaped in awe. It's as if they had both appeared from a fairytale book.

The taller man smiled at Lili. "Bonjour mon petit ange." He outstretched a hand, but was immediately rejected as Vash pulled his sister behind him defensively. The man's smile fell and slightly curled into displeased frown. "Eh, bonjour." His voice was a little less welcoming, not that Vash cared.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing here Francis?" the chief shouted.

The man called Francis craned his neck to face the chief. There was an impish grin hanging off his lips. "Ah, bonjour Mr. Rodriguez." He had a sing-song tone in his voice and his blue eyes danced. "I didn't see you there."

"Like hell you didn't," Rodriguez scowled. The calm demeanor he had before vanished as he bared his teeth and puffed his chest. "What are you doing out of your little freak show?"

The man next to Francis tensed visibly and curled his hands into fists. Francis on the other hand, placed a hand over his chest and puckered his lips. "Freak show? My, such cruel language Mr. Rodriguez even for you. I do not appreciate you calling my prized possessions _freaks._" He closed the umbrella and snow fell to the ground in large clumps. He then clicked his tongue and wagged a finger in disapproval. "No, I refuse to accept this kind of improper behavior. Arthur, if you please."

Vash and Lili took a step backwards as Arthur took a step forward. He tipped his hat up to the point where you could see his emerald green eyes shining darkly and bushy eyebrows curling on his forehead. He had a frown on his lips. "What do you want, damn frog?"

Francis laughed weakly. "Well if you'd please get rid of the problem, I'd greatly appreciate it."

Arthur's frown deepened. "So you basically want me to do your dirty work." Francis only smiled in response. Arthur sighed heavily and rubbed the back of his head. "Lazy cod."

Everyone watched Arthur roll his sleeves to his elbows and breathing slowly. He then flicked his wrist several times as in some type of preparation and closed his eyes. He began chanting what seemed like a spell, but it couldn't be. There was no such thing as magic.

A small wind started to dance around the group and picked up strands of snow, swirling it around like a small tornado. Lili held down her dress as the velocity began to pick up, and the men behind Rodriguez started to grow frantic, shuffling in fear as the mini tornado grew fiercer and the force of the wind began to swallow them towards the center. Vash quickly held to his sister and felt his feet lifting off the ground. Everything then suddenly stopped and Arthur grinned. He snapped his gloved finger and a burst of snow exploded with a sonic boom force, knocking the men off their feet and throwing them into the air like rag dolls. Each man fell unconscious as they hit the ground.

Rodriguez, who seemed to be spared, slowly began to tremble, lips quivering. "W-what did you do?"

Arthur chuckled and took off his top hat with a bow and covered his chest. "I'm glad that my act has caused such a reaction, but I'm afraid that…" He lifted his head slightly and smiled deviously. "A great magician never reveals his secrets."

Rodriguez only growled in response, but Lili applauded in delight. Arthur straightened up and placed his hat back on his head. "Thank you, you're too kind."

Francis smiled at the chief and swatted his hand. "Now that that's settled…shoo you stupid officer, I have some business to attend to."

"Business?" Rodriguez said completely confused. His eyes then widened. "You don't mean-"

"Of I do, I wouldn't be here if that wasn't the case." Francis's grin darkened.

Vash and Lili blinked in unison. What on Earth was this man talking about?

"Hey kid, don't listen to a word this man says. He's very dangerous. Come with me and I'll find you a nice place to stay at. I-I'll even drop any charges that might rise." Rodriguez's voice was basically a plea mixed with absolute terror. It made Vash uncomfortable.

Francis clicked his tongue. "Oh mon cher enfant, please do not listen to this man's strange words. I come here only as a recruiter. You see, _I_ can give you a new life."

Vash's heart fluttered. _A new life? _He thought. Lili stood next to him and wrapped her hands within his, squeezing tightly. In return, he looked at her with troubled eyes. _I…we need this. We need this more than anything._

Before Vash could respond, Rodriguez pulled out his gun and pointed it at Francis. He had already figured out Vash's decision, so before things got worse he decided to end it right there. "Don't you dare say another word," he threatened.

Francis swore under his breath and his smile turned into a dangerous frown, blue eyes flickering ominously. Arthur quickly ran in front of him and shifted his body into an offensive pose. Vash quickly shielded his sister and twisted his face into a scowl. _What the hell is going on? _

"Listen kid, I'm going to count to ten, and if you're not over on my side by that time I can't guarantee I won't kill you." Rodriguez said as if an apology. But he was just doing this job, so there wasn't anything to be sorry for. Vash guessed that even police officers hated doing their job from time to time. "One, two, three-"

The countdown had begun. Vash couldn't believe that he was going to die right then and there. He looked at Francis who was smiling in a bored fashion. _How the hell can he be so calm at a time like this? _Vash thought angrily. He didn't know why but looking at this guy's face made him want to punch it.

"Eight, nine, ten."

The trigger was then pulled several times and the bullets screamed across the field. The twins braced themselves by huddling to the ground and covering their faces into each other's shoulder. But there was no sound of impact. No scream of terror. Nothing. Vash slowly lifted his head to see Arthur standing in front of the bullet's path and he gasped, yet there was no blood, no wound. Nothing.

Arthur then swirled his cape in a circular motion, making a figure eight in midair and then dropping to the ground on one knee, perfectly unscathed. No wounds, no blood. Nothing. Rodriguez dropped his weapon to the ground in disbelief and collapsed to his knees as if in pain. He held a hand to his chest and eyes were dark, almost demonic.

"Devils," he muttered.

Francis smiled. "No…magic."

_Magic? What magic? _Vash blinked in disbelief and kept his eyes on Francis. In return, Francis turned towards him and gave an outstretched hand.

"Come with us," he said softly.

A younger version of himself flashed in Vash's mind, standing in the same exact position that Francis was. His face was completely faded out though. It appeared as if someone had taken their finger and smudged out his face. Unconsciously, he reached out his hand and grabbed Francis's. An electrifying surged passed through his arms causing a short pain to pass through his fingertips. Lili soon followed and wrapped her hand around her brother's, but her face didn't show any signs of distress. The twins looked at each other sheepishly then nodded simultaneously, as if this was the biggest decision of their lives. Francis smiled then swung his arms around them.

"Arthur, let's go."

Arthur nodded obediently and stood up with absolute grace, his cape cascading after him. He then tuned towards Rodriguez and smiled. He tipped his hat good-bye and with a flick of his wrist pulled his cape above his head and around Francis, Vash, and Lili. Rodriguez stood there in awe as the cape evaporated in thin air leaving only black feathers behind in the place where they once stood.

* * *

Rough Translations

**Bienvenue à Cirque Du Somnia: **Welcome to the Circus of Dreams

**Le Chemin du Retour: **Homeward Bound

**Gud dammit: **God dammit

**Kom hit min son: **Come here my son

**Jag är ledsen för att oroa dig: **I am sorry for worrying you

**Gud hjälpa oss alla: **God save us all

**Sacrebleu: **A cry normally said out of shock or anger

**Vous marmot sacrément: **You damn brat

**Marmots maudits: **Damn brat

**Taoi - toi: **Shut up (command)

**Nein: **No

**Bonjour: **Hello

**mon petit ange: **My small angel

**mon cher enfant: **My dear boy


End file.
